Southern California -- this just in

Husband of missing diver says he’s trying to ignore rumors

The husband of a 50-year-old free diver found dead over the weekend off Palos Verdes Peninsula said he is trying not to be bothered by her family members who cast suspicion over his behavior.

Homicide detectives have been probing the case of Rebecca Weiss, who was reported missing last week by her husband, Alan Weiss. Lt. Holly Francisco of the Sheriff's Department homicide bureau described him as "very cooperative" with investigators.

In an interview with the TV show "Inside Edition," Alan Weiss said, "At the end of the day, Rebecca was incredibly kind. She wanted me to be as kind as she was. That's a tough thing to do."

He said his wife's friends have stood beside him "every minute." The couple had been married for about 20 years.

"There's an old Indian saying," Alan Weiss told Inside Edition. "The elephant never pays attention to the dogs. It doesn't matter."

Rebecca Weiss' body was discovered on Saturday about 200 yards offshore in an area that investigators said was a favorite dive spot for Weiss and her husband.

Alan Weiss went to a sheriff's station Aug. 11 and told deputies that his wife had not returned home after a planned dive in the cove. He told investigators he had found her BMW in a nearby parking lot and a bag containing her dive equipment by the shore.

Rebecca Weiss' mother, Vilma Causey, told KTLA last week that her son-in-law's behavior was "strange" and "not the reaction of a person that has somebody missing that is close to you." Alan Weiss, 60, has declined interview requests from The Times.